Mark Coyle Gets His Guy for Gophers Basketball

For much of Colorado State’s 2nd round NCAA Tournament matchup vs the Maryland Terrapins, head coach Niko Medved probably thought he was going to be prepping for the Rams’ first ever Sweet 16 this week. They held the lead for most of Sunday’s contest, including a 71-70 lead when the Terps inbounded the ball with 3.7 seconds left on the clock.

Unfortunately for Niko and his 12-seeded Rams, Maryland guard Derik Queen took that inbounds pass at the top of the key, took two dribbles to his left (and arguably too many steps), before rising up with a right-footed fadeaway… and banking in a 15-foot buzzer beater that ended Colorado State’s 2025 Cinderella hopes.

DERIK QUEEN FTW 😱

OH MY GOODNESS 🤯#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/06QRH6eK3R

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2025

2024-25 will go down as one of the best college basketball seasons in Colorado State school history. Medved’s squad ended 26-10, won the Mountain West Conference Tournament and won one NCAA Tournament game.

Advancing one more round, however, would have put this year’s team up there with the best Rams basketball teams of modern-day tournament history. That trophy is currently held by the 2012-13 team, which did make it all the way to the Sweet 16, before finally losing.

Who knows, maybe Niko and his Rams could have taken their place up next to the GOAT Colorado State basketball teams of the 50s and 60s, where they twice made the 25-team NCAA Tournament and, both times, advanced to the Elite 8.

Minnesota Gophers hiring Niko Medved as next men’s basketball coach

Instead, Niko Medved is done preparing for Colorado State basketball games. Not just for this season, but for good. Following the Rams’ heartbreaking last-second loss on Sunday, the inevitable became reality.

According to multiple reports, the Minnesota Gophers are hiring Medved — a Minneapolis native and U of M alum — as their next men’s head basketball coach. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander is even reporting that the press conference is scheduled for tomorrow — Tuesday March 25.

Sources: Minnesota is expected to hire Colorado State’s Niko Medved as its next head coach.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 24, 2025

Medved is leaving Colorado State to be the next coach of the Golden Gophers, sources told CBS Sports. The deal will be announced soon, and a press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, according to a source.

Matt Norlander – CBS Sports

Of course, this shouldn’t be shocking news to anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock. Niko Medved was reportedly being hired by Minnesota before the Rams played their first tournament game. In fact, Darren Wolfson (KSTP) reported on SKOR North the day after Ben Johnson was fired that the Medved hire was pretty much a done deal.

Details have continued to trickle out throughout the day. As the hiring was made official, we have heard from Mark Coyle, and Niko Medved. We now also have the contract details for Coach Medved (pending confirmation by regents).

Official + details: #Gophers announce Niko Medved as its next men's basketball coach. The Roseville native will be on a six-year contract, pending approval from the Board of Regents.

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) March 24, 2025

Niko Medved graduated from Roseville high school in 1992. He started his coaching career at Macalester college from 1997-1999. From there, he joined the coaching staff at Furman University, before being hired by then University of Minnesota head coach Dan Monson, as a member of the 2006 Gophers staff.

Related: Ben Johnson’s Gophers Basketball Program Still Way Behind in NIL

Monson was fired midseason, which wound up being a blessing in disguise for Medved, who quickly found a new job on the Colorado State staff for the 2007 season. He remained an assistant for the Rams until 2013, when he was promoted to head coach.

What’s next for a down bad Gophers men’s basketball program?

Now, the question turns to how Medved will build the roster. Already, there have been reports that he may be bringing some of the best players over from this year’s Colorado State roster.

Minnesota Gophers assistant coach Dave Thorson, a former colleague and still very good friend of Medved’s, was retained to try and help retain some of the team’s best talent, like Freshman Isaac Asuma (Cherry, MN), among others. One thing is for sure, this roster will have a lot of fluidity to it over the next 6 months, no matter.